Home  Economics  Circular  No.  10.  Norember,  1921. 

DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  INTERIOR 

BUREAU  OF  EDUCATION 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


PRESENT  STATUS  OF  HOME  ECONOMICS 
EDUCATION. 


Home  economics  educational  courses  have  undergone  a  satisfactory 
reorganization  following  the  somewhat  disturbed  condition  due  to 
war  work  and  emergency  aid. 

There  has  developed  a  vigorous  and  sustained  effort  to  emphasize, 
in  all  classes,  the  relation  of  home  economics  instruction  to  healthful 
living,  financial  thrift,  and  social  service. 

A  number  of  extraneous  forces  have  reacted  upon  home-economics 
education :  The  widespread  interest  in  child  health  and  welfare,  with 
special  stress  upon  the  generally  prevailing  condition  of  malnutrition, 
has  opened  avenues  to  home  economics  trained  women  for  service 
in  the  conduct  of  food  clinics,  nutrition  classes,  and  the  redirection 
of  school  lunch-room  management.  Physicians  and  hospital  au- 
thorities have  recognized,  as  never  before  in  the  practce  of  medicine, 
the  relation  of  diet  to  disease,  and  the  need  of  highly  trained  home 
economics  women  as  prescribing  dietitians.  Operators  of  industrial 
plants  and  administrators  of  mercantile  establishment  have  employed 
home  economics  women  to  supervise  their  social  service.  Banks  have 
established  home-economics  graduates  as  advisers  of  their  women 
depositors  in  the  division  of  their  incomes  and  in  methods  of  wise 
spending.-  These  various  outside  forces  have  modified,  as  well  as 
intensified,  the  home  economics  instruction  given  in  universities,  col- 
leges, and  normal  schools. 

Universities,  colleges,  and  normal  schools  offering  home  economics 
courses. — The  number  of  institutions  of  higher  education  maintain- 
ing courses  in  home  economics  has  not  greatly  increased  during  the 
past  year.  At  present  all  State  universities  except  six  and  all  land- 
grant  colleges  for  white  students  except  five  offer  home  economics. 
Those  not  providing  for  this  instruction  are  usually  institutions  for 
men  which  either  actually  exclude  women  or  discourage  their  at- 
tendance .  Home-economics  departments  are  supported  by  177 

G19300— 21  (1) 


normal  schools,  which  employ  379  teachers;  306  colleges  and  uni- 
versities employ  1,133  teachers  of  home  economics.  Besides  these  in- 
stitutions, almost  all  academies  and  junior  colleges  admitting  girls 
offer  courses  in  this  subject. 

Home  economics  In  liberal  arts  courses. — Home  economics  is  ac- 
cepted in  many  liberal-arts  schools  as  an  essential  part  of  a  woman's 
well-rounded  education.  This  sentiment  is  reflected  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Oregon,  where  there  is  a  strong  demand  for  certain  courses 
that  will  be  of  special  value  to  students  preparing  for  professional 
life  as  journalists,  doctors,  social  workerSj  physical-training  teachers, 
etc.  It  is  felt  that  the  courses  in  the  care  of  children  and  care  of  the 
sick,  together  with  elementary  dietetics,  and  household  budget  mak- 
ing, are  needed  by  all  women  students  as  part  of  a  well-rounded 
training  for  citizenship,  as  well  as  by  those  who  plan  a  definite 
"home-making"-  or  professional  home  economics  career.  These 
courses,  already  very  much  in  demand  and  successfully  developed 
during  the  past  two  years,  will  be  greatly  strengthened  in  the  future. 

New  courses  in  child  feeding  and  welfare. — Child-feeding  and 
child-welfare  courses  have  been  added  to  the  home  economics  depart- 
ments of  many  institutions  of  higher  education,  and  special  instruc- 
tion in  advanced  nutrition  classes  has  been  given  a  prominent  place 
in  these  schools. 

In  Purdue  University  two  new  courses  have  been  developed  this 
past  year,  the  first  being  a  course  in  child  care  and  management, 
offered  to  seniors  specializing  in  home  economics.  This  course  in- 
cluded three  lectures  and  demonstrations  per  week  for  one  semester. 
There  have  been  63  enrolled  in  the  class,  and  the  students  have  been 
greatly  interested  in  the  work.  The  instructor  is  a  graduate  nurse 
who  is  also  a  graduate  in  home  economics  and  is  a  woman  who  has 
had  a  great  deal  of  experience  in  connection  with  the  care  and 
handling  of  children. 

Michigan  Agricultural  College  offered  an  elective  course  in  ad- 
vanced nutrition  during  the  past  year,  which  attracted  41  seniors. 
It  is  especially  planned  that  this  course  shall  lead  to  nutrition  clinics 
for  the  mothers  and  children  of  Lansing.  Already  these  graduates 
have  been  called  to  assist  in  other  cities  in  this  type  of  social  service. 

Oregon  Agricultural  College,  the  University  of  Minnesota,  Cornell 
University,  and  other  colleges  and  universities  had  babies  or  small 
children  in  the  practice  houses,  in  order  that  the  courses  in  child 
care  might  be  more  valuable. 

Courses  in  the  conduct  of  school  lunches. — A  generally  accepted 
dictum  is  that  all  public-school  lunch  rooms  .should  be  under  the 
supervision  of  the  home  economics  departments.  In  consequence  of 
this  many  institutions  are  establishing  cafeteria  courses.  Purdue 


University,  Kansas  State  Agricultural  College,  and  Oregon  Agri- 
cultural College  are  among  the  colleges  reporting  these  courses. 

The  rural-school  hot  lunch  has  been  given  especial  attention  in  the 
home  economic  departments  of  normal  schools.  Georgia  Normal,  at 
Milledgeville,  South  Dakota  Normal,  at  Aberdeen,  and  the  normal 
schools  of  the  State  of  Washington  have  conducted  intensive  courses 
in  rural-school  lunch  work. 

Specialized  courses  for  dietitians. — These  courses  are  now  offered 
in  all  leading  home  economics  schools.  The  Battle  Creek  School  of 
Home  Economics  requires  that  its  graduates  have  actual  experience 
as  student  dietitians  before  accepting  administrative  positions. 

At  Drexel  Institute  the  course  comprises  two  years'  work  after 
high-school  graduation.  The  students  take  standard  courses  in 
organic  chemistry,  inorganic  chemistry,  technical  chemistry,  physi- 
ological chemistry  and  pathological  chemistry,  physics,  bacteriology, 
physiology,  accounting,  principles  of  food  preparation  and  nutrition, 
institutional  cookery,  and  management. 

Graduates  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  Ohio  State  University, 
Iowa  State  University,  and  other  similar  institutions  are  now  pre- 
pared to  be  prescribing  dietitians. 

Home  economics  in  public  high  schools. — There  are  now  more 
than  8,000  high  schools  offering  to  girls  the  opportunity  to  elect 
one  or  more  years  of  this  work.  The  annual  increase  in  the  number 
of  high  schools  offering  home  economics  has  been  about  600. 

A  questionnaire  sent  to  all  high  school  principals  resulted  in  answers 
from  about  50  per  cent.  One  State,  Illinois,  contributed  311  replies. 
Of  these  311  high  schools,  184  maintained  courses  in  home  economics. 
These  schools  had  enrolled  13,334  students  in  the  regular  high-school 
home  economics  classes  and  1,753  in  high-school  classes,  aided  by  the 
Smith-Hughes  Act. 

Since  it  is  the  larger  high  schools  which  support  departments  of 
home  economics,  it  is  evident  that  the  majority  of  all  high-school 
girls  in  the  United  States  now  have  an  opportunity  to  study  home 
economics  if  the}7  so  elect. 

Statistics  show  that  the  high-school  girl  frequently  fails  to  avail 
herself  of  this  opportunity.  This  failure  may  be  traced  to  difficul- 
ties iii  adjusting  schedules  to  courses  requiring  the  long  period 
usually  considered  necessary  for  home  economics  work.  Chicago  is 
leading  in  the  experiment  of  teaching  home  economics  in  60-minute 
periods. 

Girls  entering  high  school  generally  choose  commercial  courses, 
trade  courses,  or  courses  in  liberal  arts,  preparing  for  college  en- 
trance. A  fully  organized  continuous  home  economic  course  either 
interferes  with  their  pursuit  of  a  chosen  course  or  else  is  not  so  pre- 


sented  that  they  realize  the  value  of  home  economics  as  a  part  of 
their  general  education. 

In  order  to  make  home  economics  attractive  to  all  high-school 
girls,  the  home  economics  high-school  teachers  of  Chicago  passed  a 
resolution  and  presented  the  same  to  the  city  superintendent  of 
schools,  requesting  that  the  present  four-year  course  be  abandoned 
and  in  its  place  six  separate  semester  courses  be  offered.  They  fur- 
ther requested  that  in  planning  high-school  courses  next  year  it  be 
made  possible  for  every  girl  in  a  regular  course  to  take  an  elective 
in  household  arts  any  semester. 

The  idea  actuating  these  requests  is  that  all  high-school  girls  should 
have  an  opportunity  to  take  some  home  economics  instead  of  each 
girl  being  forced  to  choose  between  a  four-year  course  in  home  eco- 
nomics and  exclusion  of  all  home  economics  from  her  high-school 
studies. 

In  Los  Angeles  and  several  other  cities  home  economics  is  now 
required  for  one  high-school  year,  while  in  Berkeley,  Calif.,  certain 
home  economics  units  are  included  in  the  social-science  course. 

Home  economics  in  public  elementary  schools. — The  rate  of  increase 
in  the  number  of  public  schools  maintaining  departments  of  home 
economics  has  been  normal.  Two-thirds  of  all  the  larger  school  sys- 
tems report  that  home  economics  is  required  of  all  girls  in  the  seventh 
and  eighth  grades.  In  a  considerable  number  of  cities  it  is  required 
of  fifth  and  sixth  grade  girls  as  well  as  of  those  in  the  upper  two 
grades. 

The  great  number  of  girls  reached  by  instruction  in  home  eco- 
nomics is  indicated  by  the  following  figures,  taken  from  reports  of 
various  cities  chosen  at  random : 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Fifth  grade 13,126 

Sixth  grade 12,117 

Seventh  grade—  9,  298 

Eighth  grade  _.  8,  035 


Boston,  Mass. 

Fourth  grade—     5,950 
Fifth  grade  5,234 
Sixth  grade  5,335 
Seventh  grade—    4,  900 
Eighth  grade—     4,561 

Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

Fourth  grade  __     2,  498 
Fifth  grade  4,300 
Sixth  grade.  3,931 
Seventh  grade—     3,  385 
Eighth  grade—     2,305 

Total    .          25.980 

Total    .          16.419 

Total 42,  576 


In  the  elementary  schools  of  these  three  cities  alone  34.975  girls 
received  some  training  in  the  arts  of  the  household.  When  to  these 
are  added  all  of  the  girls  in  the  sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth  grades  in 
Chicago,  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  in  New  York,  Cleveland, 
Detroit,  and  all  other  larger  cities  in  the  United  States,  it  is  inevitable 
that  there  must  be  finally  a  marked  effect  on  all  American  homes. 

There  is  a  general  effort  to  insure  that  the  school  home  economics 
education  functions  in  the  home  life  of  the  girl,  that  efficient  methods 
of  work  are  taught,  and  that  the  lu-st  standards  of  American  living 
are  maintained.  Establishment  of  health  habits  and  preparation  for 


home  helpfulness  are  the  dominant  motives  now  determining  the 
courses  of  study  and  the  methods  of  instruction.  Hence  home  eco- 
nomics in  the  elementary  schools  has  undergone  interesting  modifica- 
tions of  work,  as  the  following  quotation  from  one  city  supervisor  of 
home  economics  indicates : 

This  year  we  have  made  the  work  in  nutrition  more  -concrete  and  vital  by 
relating  it  more  closely  to  the  feeding  of  children.  Every  girl  was  weighed 
and  measured  and  taught  to  keep  her  own  record.  If  through  her  knowledge  of 
foodstuffs  her  weight  did  not  hecome  normal  through  modified  diet,  then  the 
cause  was  found.  This  gave  rise  to  study  of  the  relation  of  personal  hygiene, 
tonsils,  adenoids,  teeth,  etc.,  to  health. 

The  results  were  most  gratifying.  In  many  cases  parents  appreciated  the 
situation  and  responded  and  the  whole  family  benefited. 

We  plan  next  year  to  have  every  girl  in  the  schools  taking  domestic  science 
to  be  personally  responsible  for  the  improvement  in  diet  and  health  of  at  least 
one  child  outside  her  immediate  family.  Credit  will  be  given  on  the  results. 

In  San  Francisco  the  home-economics  department  took  over  the 
management  of  the  lunch  room  of  the  Buena  Vista  School,  where 
a  group  of  50  undernourished  children  were  cared  for  in  open-air 
classrooms  by  the  Associated  Charities  and  the  Antituberculosis  As- 
sociation. There  Avere  18  girls  in  the  cooking  class  of  this  school 
who  prepared  the  hot  drink  or  hot  dish  that  was  served  every  day. 
The  girls  worked  in  groups  of  four,  under  the  supervision  of  a 
domestic-science  teacher  on  one  day  of  the  week  and  with  a  student 
teacher  from  the  Lux  School  on  the  other  days.  The  meal  was 
served  in  pleasant  surroundings,  and  the  children  gained  in  weight. 
They  were  taught  table  manners  and  habits  of  neatness. 

The  making  of  simple  wash  dresses  is  now  introduced  in  the  sixth 
grade  of  Los  Angeles  schools,  whereas  a  few  years  ago  the  use  of 
the  sewing  machine  was  delayed  until  a  girl  reached  the  high  school. 

Home  teachers. — The  law  of  California  permits  the  employment 
of  one  home  teacher  for  every  500  pupils  in  attendance.  Not  all  the 
cities  have  availed  themselves  of  this  opportunity  of  articulating  the 
school  with  the  home,  but  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  semester, 
in  January,  1920,  the  board  of  education  appointed  a  home-eco- 
nomics teacher  as  the  first  home  teacher  in  the  Berkeley  schools. 
Her  function  is  the  correlation  of  the  work  of  the  home  and  of  the 
school.  She  counsels  with  the  mothers  and  in  nearly  every  case 
brings  about  improved  conditions,  either  through  cooperation  with 
the  Berkeley  dispensary  or  through  beneficial  changes  in  the  home. 
She  conducts  nutrition  classes  for  the  pupils  of  the  fifth  and  sixth 
grades  in  the  two  schools  where  she  works.  Among  the  results 
already  accomplished  are  the  substitution  of  milk  or  chocolate  and 
cereal  for  the  coffee  and  bread  which  formerly  composed  the  break- 
fast for  a  large  proportion  of  the  children,  the  formation  of  "  anti- 
coffee  clubs,"  the  increased  use  of  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  the 


6 

general  intelligent  reorganization  of  the  diet,  not  of  the  children 
only  but  of  many  entire  families. 

It  is  the  aim  of  the  home  teacher  to  use  the  facilities  of  the  do- 
mestic-science rooms  to  give  lessons  in  better  home  making  to  the 
foreign-born  mothers.  Promising  beginnings  have  been  made  this 
year.  It  is  a  question  of  time  only  when  there  will  be  regular  classes 
of  women  meeting  in  the  two  schools  for  the  study  of  nutrition, 
hygiene,  and  other  subjects  that  make  for  better  homes  and  families. 

Vocational  home  economics. — Almost  all  of  the  supervisors  of  home 
economics  in  the  various  States  are  paid  about  one-half  of  their 
salaries  out  of  Federal  money,  appropriated  by  the  Smith-Hughes 
Act.  Following  the  appointment  of  these  supervisors  vocational  home 
economics  has  been  developed  along  different  lines  in  different  States, 
depending  almost  wholly  on  the  interpretation  placed  upon  "  voca- 
tional home  economics."  If  this  term  is  given  by  the  State  authori- 
ties, the  interpretation  generally  accepted  by  educators  as  the  mean- 
ing of  "  vocational,"  then  the  reports  of  the  State  supervisors  of 
home  economics  resemble  the  following,  received  from  Wisconsin : 
"  Total  number  of  schools  receiving  Smith-Hughes  aid  for  home 
economics,  68,  divided  as  follows :  '  Part-time  schools,'  32 ;  '  night 
schools,'  30;  'all-day  schools,'  6." 

If  it  is  assumed  that  all  home  economics  is  vocational,  then  the 
reports  are  similar  to  that  of  Nebraska,  Avhich  shows  Federal  aid 
and  supervision,  supported  partly  by  the  Federal  Government,  for 
two  night  schools  and  43  standard  high  schools,  or  that  of  Minnesota, 
where  Federal  aid  is  extended  to  one  night-school  class  and  eight 
regular  day  schools. 

The  confusion  as  to  the  meaning  of  vocational  home  economics 
will  tend  to  clarify  itself  in  succeeding  years. 

Home  demonstrations  work  under  the  Smith-Lever  Act. — More 
than  1,000  women  are  now  engaged  as  agents  in  home-demonstration 
work.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important  types  of  home-economics 
education.  Usually  these  agents  are  women  educated  in  home 
economics  and  graduates  of  colleges,  universities,  or  normal  schools. 
Their  methods  of  approach  in  their  special  h'eld  differs  in  different 
sections  of  the  country.  One  county  agent  in  Tennessee  established  a 
nutrition  clinic  for  rural  children.  She  cooperated  with  the  Farm 
Bureau,  the  county  board  of  education,  and  the  local  parent-teacher 
association. 

Two  thousand  five  hundred  children  were  examined,  and  a  class  of 
15  was  selected  for  demonstrating  methods  of  overcoming  the  con- 
dition of  malnutrition. 

In  general,  the  home  demonstration  agents  strive  to  assist  the 
rural  housewives  in  applying  business  principles  to  household  tasks 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     001  139  356    8 

for  the  purpose  of  making  the  farm  home  as  efficient  as  the  farm, 
and  thus  contributing  to  the  development  of  a  better  type  of  rural 
life. 

HOME  ECONOMICS  IN  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES. 

Belgium. — As  a  result  of  the  efforts  of  M.  Paul  De  Vuyst,  director 
general,  ministry  of  agriculture,  Belgium,  a  college  of  agriculture 
and  home  economics  for  women  is  being  established  in  Lierre,  one 
of  the  suburbs  of  Brussels. 

New  Zealand. — A  very  fine  addition  to  the  Otago  University,  in 
the  form  of  well-equipped  laboratories  for  the  teaching  of  domestic 
science,  has  just  been  made,  at  a  cost  of  nearly  £10,000.  Domestic 
science  is  growing  in  favor,  and  last  year  these  classes  were  well 
attended  by  38  holders  of  Government  scholarships. 

At  Brighton-on-the-Sands,  Sydney,  there  is  an  experimental  school 
where  girls  are  taught  domestic  economy  in  its  various  phases. 

England. — In  discussing  the  reorganization  of  English  public- 
school  education  Sir  Auckland  Geddes  says : 

The  secondary  school  (age  range  12-17,  maybe  10-18)  has  not  been  neglected, 
and  the  arrangements  there  are  of  considerable  interest.  .  .  .  For  girls,  needle- 
work, cookery,  laundry  work,  housekeeping,  and  household  hygiene  are  com- 
pulsory subjects. 

Poland. — The  seven-year  program  of  the  elementary  schools  pro- 
vides for  needlework  two  hours  a  week  in  grades  three  to  seven, 
inclusive.  The  normal  schools  for  girls  teach  gardening,  agriculture, 
cooking,  sewing,  and  dressmaking.  There  is  a  free  course  of  one 
year  in  the  State  seminary  for  the  training  of  home  economics 
teachers. 

Chile. — In  Santiago  home  economics  was  first  established  in  1907 
by  a  teacher  brought  from  Sweden.  Great  efforts  are  being  made 
to  adapt  the  instruction  to  the  social  and  economic  conditions  existing 
in  a  country  where  there  is  a  superabundance  of  labor  for  household 
employment.  There  is  now  a  three-year  course  in  teacher  training, 
leading  to  the  title  "professor."  It  includes  not  only  cooking, 
garment  making,  and  child  care,  but  also  the  history  of  education, 
psychology,  pedagogy,  civics,  political  science,  and  other  subjects. 

Canada. — Saskatchewan  teachers'  courses.  Acting  upon  the  request  of  the 
department  of  education,  the  council  of  the  University  of  Saskatchewan  has 
recommended  to  the  senate  the  establishment,  during  the  academic  year, 
1920-21,  of  a  one-year  course  in  household  science  for  teachers  in  provincial 
schools. 

The  object  of  this  course  is  to  give,  within  the  period  of  the  ordinary  aca- 
demic year,  work  which  will  be  of  substantial  service  to  teachers  in  improving 
their  equipment  in  household  science.  The  course  will  include  both  foods  and 
textiles,  as  well  as  the  related  subjects  including  chemistry. 


8 

To  be  admitted  to  this  course,  teachers  must  have  a  second-class  license  or 
higher  credentials.  Preference  will  be  given  to  teachers  having  three  or  more 
years'  experience  in  the  public  schools.  The  class  will  be  limited  in  number, 
and  therefore  it  is  suggested  that  early  application  for  admission  be  made 
to  the  registrar  of  the  university.  It  is  recommended  also  that  those  teachers 
who  have  not  had  the  work  in  chemistry  required  for  first-class  diploma  should, 
if  possible,  take  the  course  in  chemistry  to  be  given  at  the  summer  session  of 
the  university. — Journal  of  Home  Economics. 

Constantinople  College. — The  American  Home  Economics  Asso- 
ciation raised  a  fund  of  approximately  $6.000  to  support  a  professor- 
ship in  home  economics  in  the  Constantinople  College  for  girls.  The 
fund  will  support  the  chair  for  three  years,  after  which  is  expected 
that  the  trustees  of  the  college  will  be  able  to  continue  its  main- 
tenance. 

HOME  ECONOMICS  ORGANIZATION. 

The  American  Home  Economics  Association  is  a  national  organi- 
zation of  professional  women  and  admits  to  its  membership  anyone 
interested  and  in  sympathy  with  its  objectives.  The  Journal  of 
Home  Economics  is  sustained  by  the  association  and  is  the  only 
technical  and  professional  journal  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 

In  addition  to  the  national  association  there  are  regional  State  and 
city  organizations  of  home  economics  women,  all  bending  their 
efforts  to  increase  interest  in  home  economics  education,  in  scientific 
research  affecting  the  problems  of  the  home,  in  improved  conditions 
for  the  welfare  of  children,  in  careful  use  of  national  wealth,  in 
personal  thrift  and  intelligent  investment  of  savings. 


ADDITIONAL  COPIES 

OF  THIS  PUBLICATION  MAY  BE  PROCURED  FROM 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  DOCUMENTS 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

AT 

6  CENTS  PER  COPY 


WASHINGTON  :  GOVERNMENT  PBINTING  OFFICE  :  1921 


